When I first read the news of Patna Municipal Authorities using eunuchs to collect tax from evading shopkeepers, I was stunned. What disturbed me more was people all over the web are lauding the so called 'novel' effort by the municipality.

Watching the eunuchs forcing themselves into shops and getting money (a.k.a. begging), had always made me thoughtful. It is the aversion of the shopkeepers towards them that makes them give money immediately and drive them away. The eunuchs also don't mind as long as they get money. They can't get any job respectable after all.

Eunuchs deserve the right to be human being first. The government and authorities ideally should try to bring them into normal stream. They should take efforts to wipe out these differences in the society. Instead they are trying to capitalize on the general aversion that prevails, towards the eunuchs. If the municipality's sole aim was to embarrass the shopkeepers, they could have done it through 1000 other ways. There are, at least in book, law and police to make the defaulters pay. The more disturbing thing is no one seems to condemn this act which in my opinion deserves appropriate punishment for socially humiliating someone on the basis of their sex.

It is really amusing see some people looking at this as providing the eunuchs their due respect. Look at this comment in one of the news sites:

"It is nothing but a different approach to handle tax defaulter.But in this way we are providing eununch a very good, respectable and ideal job. It should be appreciated by socity."

The Patna Municipality has set a bad precedent. Wish others don't join the band, in the name of giving "respect" to eunuch.

More than 'respect' I would think that eunuchs have to be saved from exploitation... They are one of the most serious high risk groups when it comes to AIDS. I don't know how many of you people are aware but most eunuchs double as prostitutes...

Here is an interview by Sonia Faleiro. Guess what... the eunuch in the article is from Namakkal TN.